22 Dec 2018

Notable performances from Japan’s Masachika Inoue and Naoya Nagashita earlier in the week; as play at the 2018 Thailand Para Open in Chiang Mai came to a conclusion on Saturday 22nd December, the good form was maintained.

Competing in the Men’s Team standing competition, each added a further title.

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Gold medallist in Men’s Singles Class 7, Masachika Inoue enjoyed success in Men’s Team Class 6-7 alongside colleagues Kazuya Kaneko and Junki Itai; for Naoya Nagashita it was the top prize in the same category in which he had prevailed earlier in the week. He partnered Nariaki Kakita to claim the Men’s Team Class 10 title.

The win secured by Masachika Inoue, Kazuya Kaneko and Junki Itai was somewhat of a surprise. Occupying the no.2 seeded spot, they overcame Thailand’s Charlempong Punpoo and Yuttana Namsage, the no.3 seeds, by two matches to one to reserve their place in the title decider. Good form, at the final hurdle that good form was maintained; they recorded a two-nil win against the top seeded Korea Republic combination formed by Lee Seho, Kim Youngsung and Park Hongkyu.

Rather differently, for Naoya Nagashita and Nariaki Kakita the victory was as anticipated. In a group organized event, they finished ahead of the combination formed by the host nation’s Bunpot Sillapong and Chanyut Uthaisar who joined forced with Tonnie Heijnen of the Netherlands.

Success for the top seeds, in the Men’s Team standing categories, it was the same in Class 8 and in Class 9.

In the former, Vietnam’s Vo Quoc Hung and Pham Van Hoang, who in the group phase had experienced a two-one defeat at the hands of Korea Republic’s Shin Myungkook and Kim Hyeonggwon, secured the top prize. After recording a two-one penultimate round success against Japan’s Takumi Shukunobe and Hideo Tamai; by the same margin they clinched the title at the final expense of the partnership formed by Australia’s Nathan Pellissier and Dustin Eier. Notably one round earlier Nathan Pellissier and Dustin Eier had beaten Shin Myungkook and Kim Hyeonggwon by two matches to nil.

Meanwhile, in Class 9, a group organized event Hong Kong’s Wong Chi Yun and Lam Ka Wai concluded matters in top spot ahead of the combination comprising Kazakhstan’s Talgat Erekeyev and Russia’s Aleksei Saunin; third position finished in the hands of Korea Republic’s Lee Cheol and Lee Jaeho.

Notably for Wong Chi Yin it was one step higher; two days prior he had been the runner up in Men’s Singles Class 9.

2018 Thailand Para Open: Latest Results and Main Event Draws

Paralympics Para Table Tennis 2018 Thailand Para Open